Bridle.



P. L. KOEPKE.

BRIDLE.

APPLICATION FILED Emma, 1909.

Patented 0011.27, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 THE NUNRIS PETERS CO4, PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGHJN, D. 1'.v

F. L. KOEPKE.

BRIDLE.

APPLICATION FILED mum. 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

an flapfiZ/Y'ag wahmm W% Quezon-16' THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTDJJTHO" WASHINGTON, D. C,

FRANK L. KOEPKE, 0F WHITEHALL, WISCONSIN.

BRIDLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 9, 1909. Serial N 0. 476,979.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK L. Konrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Whitehall, in the county of Trempealeau, State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to bridles and has for its primary object the provision of a device of this character in which a fractious animal will be under perfect control of a driver so that there will be no possibility of the animal running away and thereby avoiding injury to the occupant or occupants of a vehicle or a rider of the animal.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which may be readily applied as an ordinary mild bridle, or as an over-draw briferred forms of embodiment of the invention, to enable those skilled in the art to practice the same, and aspointed out in the claimhereunto appended.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device constructed in accordance with the invention and designed as an over-draw bridle. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan View of the cheek plate and a portion of the bit connected thereto. Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly in section of a modification of the invention. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the modification, the parts not being shown in section.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the seve 'al views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, l0 designates a head stall or crown; strap which is of the ordinary well known construction having suitably connected thereto a brow band 12, above the throat latch billets 11, of the head stall or crown strap, the latter being provided further with the usual billets 13 and 14, for the cheek strap connections as will be hereinafter lllOlG fully described.

Passed through suitable loops 16 and 17, upon the crown strap and brow band respectively is an over draw check rein 1:), the same being formed with branch tcrminals 1S and 19, and this over-draw check rein is of the ordinary form.

The numeral 20 designates a bit, in the present instance a straight-bar bit, the ends of which are enlarged to constitute the ver tical bearings 20. These vertical bearings 90 loosely receive the straight, vertically disposed front bars 21. and 92 of the cheek plates 21 and 22 respectively, the construction being such that each check plate extends rearwardly from the bit at the sides of the mouth of the horse, and these plates are vertically swivoled or pivoted in the bearings at the end of the bit so that they may swing freely toward and from the sides of the horses mouth. The check plates are preferably in the foru'l of open-work frames or iastings, the choc k plates being formed with a loop 23, while the frame 2 is provided with a similar loop 24, these loops being adapted to have attached thereto the ends of the branch straps 1S and 19 of the overdraw check ring 15.

These cheek plates 21 and 22, are formed with suitable loops 25 and 26, with which latter are mlapted to be detachably connected driving lines or reins 27 and 28, respectively, when the device is designed or employed as a mild bridle as will be horeinafter more fully described.

Fixed to the cheek plates 21. and 22, are guard brackets or frames 2.) and 30, which latter are spaced a suitable distance from the outer faces or planes of the check plates and between these brackets 29 and 30, and the webbing of said check plates 21 and 29., and journaled upon stud spindles or pivots 31 and 32, connected thereto, are grooved pulleys 33 and 34, over which latter are trained pull cables 35 and 36, respectively, the same having connected at their upper ends buckles 37 and 38, which latter detachably engage the billets 13 and 1 1-, of the crown strap or head stall. Connected Patented Oct. 2'7, 191

to the opposite ends of the pull cables 35 and 36, are rings 39 and 40, to which latter are adapted to be detachably connected the reins 27 and 28, when the occasion requires.

It is obvious that the device may be employed in several ways. For instance should it be desired to utilize the device as an overdraw check bridle as previously stated the reins 27 and 28, are connected to the loops 25 and 26 of the cheek plates. Now should it be desired to employ the device to infliet severe punishment to a fractious animal, the reins 27 and 28, are detached from the loops 25 and 26, of the cheek plates and thereafter attached to the rings 39 and 40, of the pull cable and in this manner a powerful strain may be applied upon the mouth of an animal should the occasion demand this to be done. lVhen the device is thus arranged it will be obvious that the bit 20, will be drawn upwardly into the mouth of an animal, the extent of this movement being controlled by the force applied to the reins. Therefore by this arrange ment of the device it will be well adapted for training horses or when driving vicious or unruly animals and enable the driver to effectually control the latter.

In Figs. 3 and 4 there is shown a slight modification of the device and in these views only one side of the bridle has been shown. Therefore the parts of the same will be hereinafter described singularly but it is of course to be understood that in the completed device where it is required the parts will be duplicated. To the crown strap or head stall 10, with its brow band 15, is fixed an over-drawn check rain 15, but the latter has one extremity fixed to said brow band 15", as at 17, the said check rein being also fixed to the crown strap as at 16. Detachably connected to the billets 14, of the crown strap is a buckle b8, engaging an eye 18 integral with a pulley casing or housing 19 in which is journaled a pulley 41, having trained there'over a pull cable 36, one end of which is connected to the cheek plates 22, as at 24: and this cable 36 is also trained over the groove pulley 34:,

mounted upon the cheek plates 22, while the opposite end of said cable carries the ring 4-0, to which is adapted to be connected the driving line or rein. Therefore it will be seen that in this arrangement of the device the bit 20, will be pulled upwardly into the mouth of an animal and also rearwardly when powerful strain is applied upon the driving lines or reins so that severe punishment will be inflicted to the animal thus causing him to desist in his efforts to get eyond the control of the driver or a rider of said animal. The rings 39 and 40, employed in the device are larger than the space between the brackets 29 and 30, and the pulleys 33 and er, so that they will serve as stops to prevent the displacement of the bit 20, beyond a predetermined distance from the head stall and thereby preventing or overcoming the possibility of the said bit being accidentally released from the mouth of an animal.

it is believed the device will be clearly understood from the foregoing description and also its operation without the necessity of a more extended explanation and therefore the same has been omitted.

What is claimed is In a bridle, the combination with a bit having its ends formed to constitute vertical bearings, of a pair of cheek plates each having a straight vertically disposed front bar loosely mounted in the adjacent vertical bearing of the bit, whereby said plates are free to swing relative'to the bit, said cheek plates extending rearwardly from the ends of the bit, a bracket secured to the outer face of each cheek plate in spaced relation thereto, a pulley journaled between each bracket and cheek plate, an overdraw member comprising a strap having a horizontal portion and a vertical portion, the latter terminating in two diverging portions secured at their free ends to the upper portion of the check plates, at brow strap slidably connected to' the upper portion of the overdraw member and having arms extending rearward thereof, a U-shaped crown member slidably con nected to the horizontal portion of the overdraw member, and lines connected to the ends of the crown strap and passing around the pulleys at the cheek plates and having rein attaching means at the free ends thereof.

In testimony whereof, I affix mysigna ture, in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK L. KOEPKE.

l i itnesses N. L. Fnnnnnroxson, P. R. Risnnne.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents.

Washington, D. C. 

